Khaled Mattawa

Khaled Mattawa. Khaled Mattawa is a prominent Libyan American poet, literary translator, and academic, widely recognized for his contributions to contemporary American poetry and Arabic literature. His work often explores themes of diaspora, cultural identity, and political history, bridging his native Libya and his life in the United States. A recipient of prestigious honors including a MacArthur Fellowship, he has also played a vital role in introducing major Arab poets like Adonis and Saadi Youssef to English-language audiences through translation.

Biography

Born in Benghazi, Libya in 1964, Mattawa immigrated to the United States in his teenage years. He pursued his higher education in the American South and West, earning a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, followed by a Master of Arts from the University of Oregon. He later completed a Master of Fine Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy in English literature at Duke University. His academic career has been primarily associated with the University of Michigan, where he teaches in the Department of English Language and Literature and the Program in Creative Writing. His personal journey from North Africa to America deeply informs the transnational perspective central to his creative and scholarly work.

Literary career

Mattawa's literary career encompasses poetry, translation, and criticism. He emerged as a significant voice in poetry in the United States with collections published by leading presses such as Northwestern University Press and New Issues Poetry & Prose. Parallel to his own writing, he established himself as a preeminent translator of modern Arabic poetry, producing acclaimed English versions of works by major figures including Adonis, Fadhil Al-Azzawi, and Iman Mersal. He has also edited influential anthologies, such as Dinarzad's Children: An Anthology of Contemporary Arab American Fiction, and contributed critical essays on figures like Mahmoud Darwish to publications like the New York Times.

Awards and recognition

Mattawa's body of work has been distinguished by numerous major awards and fellowships. He is a recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship (often called the "Genius Grant"), a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a fellowship from the Academy of American Poets. His translation work has been honored with the ALTA National Translation Award and the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation. Furthermore, his poetry collections have been finalists for awards like the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award and the PEN Award for Poetry in Translation, solidifying his standing within the American literary establishment.

Themes and style

Thematically, Mattawa's poetry intricately navigates the complexities of exile, memory, and the legacies of colonialism and political upheaval in the Arab world. His style is characterized by a lyrical yet precise engagement with history and place, often weaving together personal narrative with broader geopolitical reflections. Influences from both the Arabic literary tradition and Western literary traditions are evident, creating a hybrid, polyvocal aesthetic. His work frequently interrogates the construction of identity within the context of globalization and the enduring search for belonging across disparate landscapes, from the Mediterranean coast to the American South.

Selected works

* Ismailia Eclipse (1995) * Zodiac of Echoes (2003) * Amorisco (2008) * Tocqueville (2010) * Mahmoud Darwish: The Poet's Art and His Nation (2014) * Echo State: New and Selected Poems (2022)

Translations: * Adonis: Selected Poems (2010) * Concerto for Qur’an and String Orchestra by Iman Mersal (2024)

Category:1964 births Category:Libyan poets Category:American poets Category:Literary translators Category:MacArthur Fellows Category:University of Michigan faculty Category:Living people